How To Plan For a Baby Shower - The Low Stress Way!

Are you throwing a baby shower soon? I'm going to show you how to plan for a baby shower - the low stress way!

Have you thrown a baby shower before? Let me tell you, expectations can be HIGH and so is the stress level. In my late 20's I threw quite a few for my close friends and not only did I spend a small fortune, I was also stressed to high heaven. Over the years I've learned a few things and so I'm happy to be sharing how to plan for a baby shower to achieve all the fabulous-ness you want from your shower while maintaining a low level of stress. Recently, I was invited to host a baby shower on behalf of some of my favorite baby and household brands and since I'm expecting baby number 2, I knew this was a perfect opportunity to invite some of my friends and loved ones over to celebrate motherhood. This shower wasn't going to be all about me - I wanted to shower other moms with love too!

How to plan for a baby shower - without the stress

First, and foremost - the most important thing about keeping your party low-stress is to start planning early. I had a few months to plan, so I kept my eyes open for bargains to keep costs down. I jotted down some tentative ideas for a menu, beverages, favors, and decorations, so as I came upon store sales I stocked up on the products I'd need. Over time my ideas evolved though and I've learned that keeping an open mind is important - don't become married to a certain idea that will cause you unnecessary stress (or money).

One of the very first things I bought for this shower were the decorations. I found a fantastic deal on coordinating plates, napkins, utensils, table cloths, and balloons on clearance at Target and snatched them up. Then, I hit up our affiliate Amazon and found some adorable little plastic scoops and paper baggies and it inspired me to create a candy buffet for my guests. I had a pretty elaborate candy buffet at our wedding, so I thought this would be a nice "throwback" for our friends and family. Since Easter had just passed, I was able to stock up on a lot of candy at discounted prices and I already had a lot of the glass jars (and those I didn't have I borrowed from relatives) so the price of the candy buffet wasn't outrageous at all. If you don't have any suitable jars, check out your local thrift stores or home-good stores where you can get them pretty cheaply.

I think the candy buffet came out so cute! Not only was it a nice "thank you" gift to our guests for coming, it was also a beautiful decorative touch.

You can shop candy buffet items on Amazon:
(Just click the image to read the reviews and get product details)

3 Palais Glassware Clear Glass Apothecary JarsBlue Candy Kit - Party Candy Buffet TablePink Candy Kit - Party Candy Buffet TableCandy ScoopsDessert Table Party Favor BagsPink Candy Buffet AssortmentHaribo Gold-Bears Gummi Candy, 5-Pound Bag24 Pack Assorted Rock Candy Crystal Sticks, 11 Flavors

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Another easy (and cheap!) decorative idea is a baby layette clothesline. I broke out some our little lady's new baby clothes and used clothespins to display them on some twine. I also pinned up a few Dreft Pretreater Portable Stain Pens that I was including with our guest swag bags. Honestly, I can't get enough of Dreft products. From keeping your highchair squeaky clean to getting stains out of onesies and bibs, Dreft Home products should be on every mom’s must-have list.

Shop other baby shower decorations on Amazon:

Pin The Pacifier Baby Shower GameWilton Diaper Cake KitFun Express Baby Word Scramble Baby Shower GameMixed Color Fluffy Tissue Paper Pom Pom Flower Balls20pcs Baby Blue White Grey Baby Boy Baby Shower/Party Paper Decorations First Birthday Boy DecorationsBaby Shower Mother to Be Crown TiaraAerWo Tutu Table SkirtsBaby Shower Photo Stick Props (12 Pack)

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Speaking of SWAG BAGS. Oh my word - our guests were spoiled in this department. I was able to gift several amazing products to my guests. I use Downy Wrinkle Releaser Plus (all. the. time!) so I was thrilled that my friends and family would be able to try it out. As a new mom, ironing is certainly not a top priority in life, but Downy Wrinkle Release Plus allows you still look presentable without breaking out that iron. Seriously - just spray, tug and wear - that's it. Another product we use and love is Boogie Wipes! Kids and moms alike love these awesome wipes. They’re gentle enough for the most sensitive skin – and they’re also a great way to wash your face... not that new moms would be too tired or busy to wash their faces, right? Not only will these products make like easier, they can all be found at Target.

How to plan for a baby shower - the food!

Now, let's talk food! This can one of the worst parts about planning a party. For a split second I debated getting the food catered, but then thought, "I can do this myself for way less money." I was totally right.

I decided to make sandwiches (chicken salad made from store bought rotisserie chickens and egg salad - can't get much easier than that). To make them a bit fancier, I served them on croissants that I bought in bulk from our local warehouse store (or you could get them from your grocery store). Since our shower was kid friendly, I also wanted the food to be portable, so I made fruit salad and yogurt parfaits served in clear cups so they were pre-portioned. I also added a hummus and veggie tray for my vegetarian/vegan guests. Since we were already having a fun candy buffet, I didn't go crazy with desserts. Rather than buying an expensive cake, I bought two boxes of cupcake mix and two containers of icing and made cupcakes myself. To make them appear more custom made, I piped the icing onto them using a clear plastic bag (just load the icing into the bag and seal it, then cut off one of the corners and use it as a piping bag - super easy!).

Since I know my toddler wasn't going to eat chicken salad or egg salad, I figured the other kids at the party wouldn't want to either. I was sure to stock up on some very kid-friendly foods like Uncrustables, fruit snacks, and popcorn. Even though my son has a lot of fun toys, I also wanted to be certain the kids were well entertained so their moms could mingle. I hit up the dollar store and Target to stock up on coloring books, sticker activity packs, crayons, bubbles, chalk, and more. The kids were definitely well-fed and happy!

Let me be the first to say that I don't like generally like baby shower games. I'd much rather chat with my guests than have them guess how big my (very large) belly is. I do however like prizes! I was super excited to be able to offer a super fabulous assortment of prizes from Chicco, Blooming Bath, Fisher Price, Orla Kelly, Munchkin, and more! To award the prizes, I decided to do a fun little raffle. Each guest got 5 tickets and could place their tickets into a jar for any of the products they wanted to win. It was up to them how they wanted to "spend" their tickets and I think all of them left pretty happy!

This adorable little lady hit the jackpot!

Even though I don't like baby shower games, I did want to have a little interactive fun at the shower, so I set up a little station that our guests could write down their name suggestions for our baby girl. We're still nameless at this point, but it was fun to see what people came up with. My nieces were super ambitious and their love of Disney princesses was well-known with name suggestions like Jasmine and Aurora.

Overall, I think the baby shower was a big success! My guests got to take home some fantastic products for their little ones, and I certainly felt showered with love.

Disclosure: This post about how to plan for a baby shower was sponsored by Boogies Wipes, Dreft Home, and Downy Wrinkle Releaser Plus. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Amazon links are affiliate links.